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PFG12 // Ken Barber, House Industries

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VIVE LA PLUME Vive la plume // Designed by Ken Barber, House Industries. A celebration of the penman’s art, “Vive la plume” is a phrase that can be found ostentatiously scribed within the pages of many classic penmanship copybooks and …

VIVE LA PLUME

A celebration of the penman’s art, “Vive la plume” is a phrase that can be found ostentatiously scribed within the pages of many classic penmanship copybooks and writing primers. The first time I encountered the expression was in a reproduction of Thomas Tomkins’ 1777 masterpiece, The Beauties of Writing. My take on “Vive la plume” is decidedly less flamboyant, however, tempered by formal script lettering of the 20th century with a dash of American ornamental offhand flourishing thrown in for good measure.

Instead of using a pen, like the calligraphers who inspired this piece, I started with good ol’ pencil and paper. After sorting out the basic proportions and settling on a letter style, a number of refined sketches were made. Finally, a tight pencil rendering was painstakingly transformed into vector artwork, and lovingly screen-printed by hand for this limited edition.

Food For Life Vrindavan is an outreach program in rural India that helps to feed local communities, assists in raising funds for costly medical procedures, and runs a school for girls who might not otherwise have a future.